An inspector calls

Steve Moor, Catering Manager at Goffs School, Hertfordshire, received support from Pelican nutrition which he was glad of when he faced the inspectors recently. He said, "To be really honest, I wasn't prepared at all. Prior to the inspectors arriving all the staff had met to plan for it, but the focus was on the academic side and other aspects of the school. Inspection of the school food provision was not mentioned or discussed so I didn't know what they would be looking at or what they might ask from me."

During the visit

When the inspectors showed concern that the provision wasn't up to healthy eating guidelines, I set out to demonstrate that the school was meeting the standards. I was able to print off everything I needed from Relish, the nutritional analysis tool. I printed off menus and graphs, and copies of recipes to show portion sizes and they were extremely happy with it and took them away."

The inspectors had further questions which I was also able to address with the help of the Relish program. I was able to pull together the information very quickly and provide them with uptake data from the tills. I provided the inspectors with copies of the week's menus with all the corresponding items and dishes listed together with the graph from Relish showing compliance with the nutrient-based standards. I also provided them with previous graphs showing how I had progressed from 'working towards compliance' to being fully compliant with the standards.

It is all about preparation

You need to be prepared and don't leave tweaking to the last minute. I should have had my menus up to date and printed out. Had I done this before the inspectors arrived I would have avoided the unnecessary stress and worry.

Going through this process has been really encouraging as I have spent a lot of time and effort in making changes to the school food provision to meet compliance. The praise and recognition that the school has received as a result has made it all worth it. If you're facing an inspection and have some concerns, Pelican can support you, so give the team a call.

"If you're facing an inspection and have some concerns, Pelican can support you, so give the team a call"

Steve Moor, Catering Manager
Goffs School, Hertfordshire